Happy Birthday Blog!

This is the second year I've blogged! I can't say that time flew in this instance!

Today was really windy, but much warmer (around 50 degrees). We went outside for 40 mins. I was able to walk around the yard 12 times & I paid attention to keep a fast pace & even ran a bit-that was a great feeling, sorta like coasting downhill on a bike!! I have a workout tonight also to do & look forward to a really great week!

It was wonderful to be out in the sun-my whole attitude is more of a calm, collected mama after the exercise in the sunshine! I just wonder how fulfilling it will be to have so much more sun & so many more months to be outside in Arizona!!

Today we also got up earlier & I feel so wonderful for all that I accomplished today before the children went to bed!! I straightened some books & then the children "found" them again--I thanked God we don't have television; they were reading to each other, and not only that-they were TEACHING each other how to read!! (#1 with #3) It's so cute when the baby girls (3 & 2) play with each other, the elder teaching the younger with much praise, "You did it! YEAH!!"

Just finished helping hubby hang more dry wall. He's working on the stairwell with its partition wall. He's prepping it now to mud-which I may be able to help on this side of the stairs! :)

That's all for now. Ciao.

Mmmmm....Delicious

Today I made a mouth-watering Roast with Mashed Spuds!! Crockpot meals are so easy and yummy. Thaw roast, put olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh garlic cloves (sliced in half if big), and then the roast on top, dash a bit more salt and pepper on the roast. Add some water depending how much broth you want to be left over after you've served the gravy with the meal. Cook on high for about 4 hrs & enjoy the aromas that waft through your house! How easy!! Boil 5 lbs potatoes for 20 mins with salted water, drain (& keep for another stew, potatoe bread, ect.) and put in a mixer (Bosch is THE best!) add 1 stick of butter, salt, white pepper and 1 cup of milk and mix til the right consistency. Serve before everyone comes, or it will be gone and they'll be asking for seconds before you're done serving!! :) Don't forget to make a volcano with the gravy in the potatoes-that's what we called it when my mommy did this for us!

To answer this question: For your cinnamon rolls, do you just use honey instead of white sugar? Would brown sugar be OK?

We don't use brown sugar, but we do eat lots of molasses! (full of b vitamins, calcium, potassium, magnesium!!) Brown sugar (I'm sure you know) is only sugar that a small amount of the molasses has been added back to it. I only put a minimum of honey in the dough so it slightly sweetens it, but won't burn. I add a mix of butter, honey and vanilla (maybe cream -whipped or not if we have it on hand) and pour or brush it on after the rolls are out of the oven.

Oh, I forgot...I put a teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ground ginger in 2 cups of honey and use part of this for the icing.

And I've had to figure how much bread we eat each week and which were the best days to bake it. For me it's Tuesdays and Fridays, then there is no bread making on the weekend and I still have the day after if I get behind on things! This was the only way I could keep up!


Nothing else here. Amazingly enough, the snow has melted and it was such a bright sun shiny day!! :)

Feeding Your Brain

Amidst the hype of low and non-fat diets, I have not fallen for it. It never made sense to me! Why separate an egg to miss out on the lecithin that naturally dissolves fat? Why eat low fat dressings to miss out on the good cholesterol to nourish your brain? Why drink skim or low fat milk and miss out on the vitamins and minerals? (Besides the fact that farmers feed their pigs skim milk to fatten them!!) Why get sucked into the trends that end up making it more difficult to lose weight, more difficult to stay in shape and be healthy?

SO, I decided I wouldn't do that. I also cannot eat only protein. Natural whole grains are great for the body, extending an even blood sugar level as well as soluble and insoluble fibers. Why suffer through diets where you CANNOT eat, and just get rid of the junk that you SHOULD NOT eat? Sugar and white flour (whether enriched or not) is not food. They are leftover processes that defeat the purpose of nourishing your body. Processed foods have added chemicals to keep products longer and enhance the flavor for the sole benefit of having the consumer buy more. Otherwise known as neurotoxins. They work on the brain to stimulate a sense of well-being just like drugs.

Ok, anyways, we finally finished the last of the white rice we had and I think I'm going to throw away the noodles. It's not worth it for my body or my family's to suffer and try to eat healthy and lose weight at the same time. It's not worth going out to eat-NOBODY cooks like I do. I actually ate 1 whole peanut M&M today and within seconds of putting it in my mouth I felt bad. It doesn't taste good anymore! (not a bad peanut) Maybe it was the Blue Lake, maybe it was the sugar coating, maybe it was the artificial flavor of the chocolate? Maybe it was just a bad idea!

Just one M&M caused me to determine to forget about all those foods I associate with good times and happy memories. It's detrimental to my body to have to deal with those toxins and suffer the emotional as well as the physical reactions.


Back to the basics. Today I made Whole Wheat Bread...I added a little more honey, it had been tasting a bit yeasty. Also put on a pot of Potatoe Soup with lots of celery and carrots and leftover Roast juice that had garlic. Just finished 4 eggs with 2 slices of my bread with butter. I don't starve my body-or eat meals only 3 times per day, but I feed my body so it recognizes that I will feed it next time and therefore will get rid of the reserves of unnecessary fat. If I eat only 3 times per day, I gain weight, even if I'm working out! I eat more protein than carbs, but I eat plenty along with lots of fats. Olive oil, butter, Cod Liver Oil are what we have now, but I can't wait til we can get Coconut Oil again...that's when I had better weight loss and just felt much better overall!!

So, if you have problems losing weight, keeping it off or have any health problems or issues-consider what you put in your mouth and if you really want to work that much harder to get it out of your system! "A minute on the lips-a lifetime on the hips" really comes into play here when you don't eat The Extreme Healthy Foods.

Whatcha gonna do? When are you gonna get up from the computer and work off that last ________ you had? When are you gonna stop planning meals based on junk or not planning and going out to eat junk? I can hear you say, "But I don't like it, my family won't eat it" then figure out a way...and stop making 3 year old's excuses, you are an adult!

Ok, gotta run.

Here's some food for thought:

"He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee. " Psalm 81:16 "And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart." Psalm 104:15

"And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land
flowing with milk and honey;" Jeremiah 32:22




This is an older pic, homemade cinnamon roll with whole wheat flour and honey and butter.

The Working Mama

Ah- HAH!! I got your attention!! hehe, I'm just talking about all the work I've done!!

Today was a busy day, finished up school with Math drills (flashcards with Daddy) and the Math Lessons which took a while to do-TGIF! I was in a brain-fog and am drinking my water right now!! As I am getting sick of being online (but love to get email and comments) I'm working on limiting my time. That is usually best done if I just leave the computer off!! I made a batch of bread and actually had a wonderful Potatoe Soup ready at the same time!! Amazingly, we didn't get the snow, but it's still COLD-hence the cooking! :)




So, finished the dishes (while cooking) and was working on the laundry since this morning. Feeling a bit discouraged about the laundry (which is unlike me-I really enjoy it, nothing to think about and it gets done!), and happened on A Wise Woman Builds Her House in an older post where she talks about doing laundry. I was encouraged and thrilled that she does her laundry almost exactly how I've always wanted to do mine!! You'll haveta go see.

Anyway, gotta go. I need to switch the laundry and do a quick pickup and ready for bed. Ciao.

Shrink into Summer Weight Loss Challenge

As per The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans, I will be posting something about my weight loss. They're a bit hung up on the weight loss in association with caloric intake rather than inch loss and caloric output with extreme healthy eating (so caloric intake is a moot point). They should seriously look into it!! I have lost tons of inches and weighed the same-I was always more pleased that I could actually fit into my jeans better than the fact that my weight didn't change. I guess that's what you call building muscle!

My goal weight is 120 (I was way too skinny at 112!) I now weigh 140 (according to my fickle, old, beat up scale) and 152.0 (according to my digital scale that weighs my weights 8lbs more for every hundred-yeah right digital is accurate!-it's even a Weight Watchers-not adjustable in any way) So, I'm looking to lose 20 lbs.**

I was walking and starting to do sprint intervals, but it's been raining and I must take into account having children outside playing--so, once again, I haveta change my workout. Whatever I do will be for approx. 1 hr, because that is the time I've found that I actually start to lose weight-anything else is just stretching! (i.e. pilates, yoga, etc.)

My goal is muscle building (I guess I'll be getting out my weights) as well as weight loss, but more importantly inch loss. I can go to FitTV online and workout with Gilad's workouts for the National Body Challenge. He uses weights and does plenty of cardio. The workout sessions are in approx. 10 min segments. There are several, so I can pick and choose how intense and how long I workout. I will probably be working out at night (11p.m. or so) since I'm not an early riser that much earlier than the children!! I'll set that goal another time! As the weather improves, I will be going outside to walk/sprint and maybe incorporate the 5K Run method at the same time!! (that would be just tooooooo coooooool!)

**I took the inches off the site, but I'll be keeping track, maybe with a total of inches lost to post here.

From last week (3/18), I actually lost 4 lbs!

With motivation I look forward to losing a minimum 5-10 lbs per month, and since this is an 8 week challenge, I think it is very possible!!

I will try to take my measurements and weights in the morning before any food intake.

It's tough being this honest (some may think I'm being a freak 'cause I'm not that fat, but I'm not in as good of shape as I desire and I just had a baby a year ago and would like to shed the extra flabs!)

Ok, that's all I can think of. Come back next week to see my progress!

Happy Birthday!!

Today is Baby Boy's 1st Birthday!!

He is running everywhere, comes when he's called, gives us the "yuckies" instead of trying to eat them, he's getting his 5th tooth (the top 2 came in the same day he was weaned-about 2 weeks ago), he's talking-saying so much & we are learning exactly what it is & how I LOVE it when we get it right, his smiles and hugs are just perfect! He is learning to like bananas, but it just depends what he wants. He likes his salty and savory foods before his sweet foods! The children love him much and are always playing with him: getting down on all fours and chasing him til he gets down and chases them back! They all are wonderful!

Happy Birthday, Sweetie!!

Another Great GiveAway!

Anne over at Jensen Family Blog is having a giveaway that will close Wednesday the 25th at 7p.m. (she's in Colorado, so whatever time zone)

Go visit, leave a comment & welcome her into the blogging world!!

I may be adding other giveaways-if I have make time!

Win a free Bumgenius 3.0 Diaper! This is a valuable All-In-One cloth diaper that you can use for yourself or give as a gift to someone expecting a baby! Go check out Hot Belly Mama's Blog for details on how to win this wonderful All In One Cloth Diaper. Hot Belly Mama will announce the winner on March 30th, after her 30th birthday!

Here is the direct link to her blog:

http://hotbellymama.blogspot.com/

go to her March 8th entry!


You can go here (Two Under Two) for yet another giveaway (guess where I've been all day!!)

This is what she's giving away! Adorable!!

Ultimate Blog Party '09

Ok, once again, another Blog Party, but this one is HUGE!! I hope I have time to search through at least a few blogs & find like-minded peoples!!

Ok, this is me, BellaMama, married to the Best Husband in the World for the past 8.5 years, and we have 6 blessings that are 7 and under. I homeschool all of them (but actually keep records for 5), I'm a stay-at-home mom--I actually stay at home, We eat no processed foods and I bake our own whole wheat bread from freshly ground flour and make plenty home-cooked meals, We don't watch T.V., We cloth Diaper and Baby Carry and Co-Sleep, We love to research information and try to better our lives. Currently we are renovating our house to sell and move soon! What else? I love what I do, where I am and how God works in our lives each and every moment!!

Ok, off to find others or maybe I should be knitting--hmmm, tough toss-up!




These are my top ten prizes I'd be glad to receive:

1.USC 1: Spanish for Children DVD series.

2.USC 14: Glass and stone earring and necklace set

3. USC 66: $50.00 Gift Certificate to the online maternity and baby boutique, Madre Gear.

4. USC 7: Organic Nest Egg take-a-long pillow

5.USC 17 :$50 Sterling Silver Earrings from Ice.com

6. 20: 5 bars of handmade goat milk soap

7.USC 73: Go baby OutMat

8.USC 26: 10 $50.00 Gift Vouchers to Hatley

9. USC 45: Pair of shoes from Eleven Collection Spring/Summer 09′

10. USC 58: Handmade Retro Apron of your choice!

11.USC 9: $50 gift certificate to Salon Hive

These are all from the US/Can list and #6 is the only one from the regular list.


I also have a blog where I write about my pregnancies, my babies and my health during these times. (Written for wives and moms though not inappropriate)

One more blog where I write up free patterns for knitting. I hope to one day include my crochet patterns, but a girl's only got so many hours in the day! :)

Ok, I think that's all! Talk to you'alls later!

Knitting Kit GiveAway

Go leave a comment at FUZZY THOUGHTS by Friday for a chance to win a Scrap Chaps Knitting Kit! Quite adorable, just like the other knitting patterns at her Etsy shop!

What Not To Make

I started surfing Allrecipes . com yesterday, looking for something different to make. I got my recipe I was looking for and then continued to look for other ideas. Big mistake. Ok, I have the ingredients, sounds good and easy, I'll try it.

Kugel (Never forget the name!)
2 lbs noodles
10-12 eggs
1 cup butter
someone commented about their modifications so I tried my own
1/2 lb broccoli chopped
1 cup of spinach chopped
1/4 onion sauteed
salt and pepper

make noodles, mix with everything and put in a pan for 1 hr at 350 degrees.

See, really easy, sounds good (except for those who don't like specific veggies)

My hubby nicknamed it "The Embalmed Cassarole" The children had such pitiful faces and asked, "Do I have to finish this?" in the sweetest way. Baby #6 ate it just fine, but stopped after a while and just spit it out with a face that said "yucky". #5 lovingly gave me all of her portion and said it was for me.

This is not what I expected at all, but was pleased that hubby said it was ok to ditch it. I offered my "fix" of cutting it into pieces to put into a soup, hubby said, "Yeah, cut it into pieces to put into the trash." Guess I shoulda made a quiche!


House news: Hubby has all but one window in downstairs. He's also been finishing up the mudding of the downstairs room's drywall and cleaning up and getting rid of stuff. It's so nice to hear him say he's getting rid of things!! No pictures....cause we didn't take anymore. He's also scraping ceilings to get rid of all the "popcorn" texture.

As always, knitting in the evenings and weekends. I just found this beautiful, free shawl. I don't know if I'll make it or make a vest. I'm working on a vest right now. I dunno if I'm gonna write the pattern to sell or not, we'll see.

Other than that, all's quiet here. It's starting to warm nicely and I've been walking around the yard for exercise. It's difficult to workout at night (11p.m.-1a.m.) and be wide awake, so I'm opting for outside time with the children playing. Now, I can knit at night! :)

Ok, that pretty much all the update here. Have a blessingfull week!

Caution: Construction Zone

Here is my husband's latest work zone. He is framing the windows, adding insulation, wrapping the house, then putting in the windows and putting up siding. The first picture is of the North side of the house, the second is the South side. He's working on the front also, but didn't take a picture.


While we're working, our neighbors (actually where we used to rent before we got this house 2 houses down) took down about 1/2 of a dilapidated garage. Though I don't have before pics, this is quite an improvement!!That's all for now, going to go outside to get some sunlight before it's gone!

Modesty

Another group to enter to win prizes and talk about Modesty!

Enjoy the fellowship!

Induction Cookers & Yogurt Making

Thought I'd show you'alls my induction cookers. They are wonderful, especially when your stove goes out and you still have electricity! They are also great in summer when you don't want added heat in your house! This is the white one, it has a lip at the edge of the plate, the black one doesn't. They're very easy to use, the children are starting to learn. Since our stove is fixed, but so old and inefficient, that I am using the induction cookers for everything that would be stove top. I still make bread in the oven and things like meatloaf, but that's all.



The principle is on magnetism therefore, if a magnet doesn't stick to your pan, you won't be able to use it, the cooker will automatically shut off. Also, if you take your pan off the plate, the connection is broken and it will beep a few times and then shut off. I love this for teaching the children to cook, the plate does not get hot except for the retained heat from the pan. The concept is brilliant!!

Right now I'm making yogurt-thought I'd take pictures to show you!

This is the black one, I must use for this huge pan (no lip on the plate). So, by tonight sometime, we will have 2 gallons of yogurt! (and meatloaf I made last night.)

That's all that's going on here besides the children have moved to doing 2 Math lessons per day-they are absolutely excelling!! :) We will finish the first work book in no time and move to the second. We need to start Multiplication and Division now that they are good at Addition and Subtraction. Then Algebra is next, Geometry will be interspersed so that Trigonometry will flow easily as well!! I will be checking their placement and skip a few books, since in elementary the main processes are learned and then repeated until the upper grades. Their reading is doing quite well and I hope to get out these books I got from Rod & Staff:

Thrilling Escapes by Night
The Man in Bearskin
Evangelist in Chains

I have more, and I think these are great true stories and truly real life based. I think I'll be selling my Laura Ingalls books...I'd not read them before now and found that I don't want to know the inner thoughts of Laura or the disobedient things that Almonzo did. Don't children have enough bad examples that we would have to introduce more?! We want them to emmulate Christ-like characters and will be looking for more whether taken from scripture or biographies.

Well, that's all for now. Need to go get another meal/snack out! Have a blessings of a day!

Titus 2 Blog Party

Sure, I'll join to get more people to visit me. So, do sit and have a cup of tea and enjoy!

This blog was started to mainly stay in touch with far away family and has turned into an outlet for me to see what I've been doing! I've realized that I can accomplish more when I want to blog than I did before I started a blog! I hope to encourage other moms of many small children that they are capable of getting all they are required to do and much more done since we are all allotted the same amount of time in each day!! I don't apologize for what I believe or how we rear our children. There are many books and teachings and the few I've read and heard I like only a few sentences from each and therefore don't support the rest. I've learned not to look to others for help as God is my helper and I am learning to make Him my All in All! We are a cloth diapering, co-sleeping, baby carrying, not cry-it-out family. We look for opportunities to show our children that treasure in heaven is our ultimate goal and that living perfectly in Christ by walking in love.

You're always welcome and please comment!

Here's the link to get back to the Titus 2 Blog Party go see others!

Do I Look OLD?

For years I've read and heard the verse about the older women teaching the younger women. I just reread it and the Lord showed me something:

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; "That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, "To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." Titus 2:3-5

Did you see that also? Do I look aged to you? I think I still fall in the catagory of a young woman, I'm still learning the things that are listed!

So, I will refrain myself from trying to teach you. I've not come that far in life that I can consider myself aged!! I will abide by this verse:

"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
"And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."
I Corinthians 14:34-35